Nothing ruins a relaxing summer night near the fire pit, quite like a spider crawling up your leg. And there’s nothing like the sheer feeling of terror when you open up the shed door and see a swarm of spiders scurrying away. It’s time to tackle your outdoor spider problem head-on.
One of the best outdoor sprays for spiders is the Terro Spider Killer. It can also be used indoors and targets other insect species too. Miss Muffet’s Revenge is a spider repellent that can last up to 12 months, while Ortho BugClear is simple to spray on your entire yard and lasts for six months.
Not all insect sprays are designed to work on spiders. So, we’re going to be reviewing 8 of the best outdoor spider sprays to get rid of the spiders you currently have. Then, we’ll go over how you can use traps, repellants, and other natural remedies to keep spiders away!
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The Different Types of Spider Sprays
The first thing you need to know before buying spider spray is what it’s meant to do and the different types you can choose from. Knowing this information can help you to make a more informed choice when buying a product.
Here’s a look at the different types of sprays you can choose from:
- Basic spray bottles. These might be sold in the form of aerosol sprays or simple spray bottles. Some of these sprays can be used directly on spiders, while others are meant to be sprayed in areas where spiders tend to shelter or enter your home.
- Hose sprays. These are meant purely for outdoor use. All you have to do is hook the spray container up to your garden hose and spray your lawn and garden. This helps to dilute the liquid and can sometimes be used to cover over 5,000 square feet.
- Sprayers. These are simply large-scale solutions for outdoor spiders. The containers are typically very large (several gallons) and come with a spray nozzle and a tiny hose. Just walk around the yard, spraying areas of the yard where spiders may be hiding.
- Granules. While not technically a spray, these are rather useful for outdoor spider removal. Granules are small chunks of pesticides that can be sprinkled around the perimeter of your yard or home to keep spiders at bay.
All of these types of sprays can be useful, so it’ll all come down to personal preference and what works best in your personal situation. Remember that each individual product will vary in terms of how long the effects last and how to use it.
Now, it’s time to talk about the best spider sprays for outdoor use.
Terro Spider & Ant Killer
The problem with a lot of spider sprays is that they only have one use. Some are meant to be used directly on spiders as you see them. Others are meant to be sprayed on your entire yard to lower the total spider population.
This aerosol spray does just about everything.
If you find yourself face-to-face with a black widow or brown recluse, you can use this product directly on the spider. You can also use this spray on areas of your property where spiders like to hide out, such as in your garage or on your patio furniture.
You can even spray this product into cracks and crevices to target spiders where you know they hide. That includes tiny gaps in your stacks of firewood and even minor cracks in your home’s foundation.
All you have to do is angle the container downward as you spray and you should see results immediately. You might even notice that your property is no longer home to other insects like co*ckroaches and ticks.
If you’re interested, you can purchase Terro Spider & Ant Killer here.
Ortho Home Defense Granules
While not technically an insect spray, these granules from Ortho are just as effective. All you have to do is sprinkle these granules along the perimeter of your home, and spiders won’t dare to cross that boundary.
The best part is that this isn’t a one-time deal product.
When sprinkled correctly, you can actually use these granules to surround a 2,000 square foot home at least twice. That means you don’t have to worry about buying the product every few months to keep the spiders away.
Once you lay down the granules, they start getting to work just about immediately. The effects are also so impressive that you’ll be able to keep those spiders, ants, and centipedes away from your home for close to three months.
Just be sure that you’re not allowing your pets and children into the area immediately after using the granules. You want to make sure that the granules have been moistened and dried first before allowing this.
Make sure to read all of the instructions carefully on the package before using it.
If you’re interested, you can purchase Ortho Home Defense Granules here.
Ortho BugClear
You want to get rid of those invasive spiders, but you might also have other insects that you can’t seem to get rid of. Frankly, you’re tired of spending money on insect sprays that target individual insects (ants, ticks, spiders, etc.).
This spray by Ortho will actually target 235 different types of insects.
What’s even better is that you don’t have to manually spray certain areas of your property or even individual spiders as you see them. All you have to do is hook this container up to your garden hose and begin spraying your yard and garden.
This product will lay down a nice layer across your entire yard or even along the perimeter of your home. Within a few short minutes, the spray begins to sink in, and your insect problem is slowly being handled.
This spray has an impressive amount of coverage that makes it a great solution for large insect problems and bigger properties. It can actually cover over 5,300 square feet on your lawn or 1,400 square feet around the perimeter of your home.
Better yet, the results claim to last about six months, so you don’t have to keep respraying every few months.
Check out Ortho BugClear here!
Mighty Mint Spider Repellent
Just because a product is organic and all-natural, that doesn’t mean that it’s not effective. And that’s exactly what you’ll notice when you use this spider repellent from Mighty Mint. This product is meant to keep spiders from entering your home in the first place.
If you want to go more of a natural product based route, then Might Mint may be for you.
That’s because it’s made from peppermint essential oil instead of a combination of chemicals. So you don’t have to be nervous about using this spider repellent both inside your home and out in the garden.
This product is extremely easy to use too. All you have to do is use the spray nozzle and target areas of your home and yard where you know spiders tend to hide. This would be really effective in foundational cracks and around that covered patio furniture.
Unlike a lot of sprays, this spray will need to be used quite frequently if you want to see consistent results. It’s a good idea to use this spray on target areas every few days until you see that spiders are no longer occupying these areas.
You can take a look at Mighty Mint Spider Repellent here!
WET & FORGET Miss Muffet’s Revenge
Sometimes, there’s not much you can do to keep spiders out of your yard. If you live near the woods or where bugs seem to thrive, you might be tired of spraying down your entire property every three months.
This spray from WET & FORGET claims to keep working on spiders for up to 12 months.
This particular spray comes in a 64-ounce container that’s hooked up to a small hose and spray nozzle. Simply walk around your property and even inside your house and focus on spraying where the spiders are.
Purposely spraying the spider webs on your property is a great idea. Not only does this get rid of spiders right now, but it might also discourage them from simply rebuilding their webs in the same location.
You can also use this product to spray the perimeter of your house to keep spiders from entering in the first place. The fact that the sprayer claims to reach up to 10 feet means that you don’t have to get up close and personal with the spiders that you do see.
If you’re interested, you can check out Miss Muffet’s Revenge here!
Harris Home Pest Control
When those spiders somehow keep finding their way into your home, you need to look into building a perimeter with spider spray. This product from Harris is one of the best choices for that issue.
This spray comes in an easy-to-carry 1-gallon container that’s hooked up to a spray nozzle. Instead of lugging the hose around with you as you’re working to handle the perimeter, just carry the container and spray as needed.
The product claims to continue to work on those spiders, ants, and even roaches for weeks after using it. In just a few short hours, the spray begins taking effect, and those insects on your property don’t stand a chance.
Yet, the best feature of this product is that it doesn’t destroy your property. Since it’s a non-staining product, you can reasonably use this spray on your fabric patio furniture without leaving yellow marks and stains.
Plus, the fact that it’s an odor-free formula means you won’t have to worry about a super-heavy scent if using indoors.
Here’s a link to Harris Home Pest Control if this is your preferred method!
Raid House & Garden
Raid continually puts out a line of top tier products across multiple specialty niches.
It doesn’t make sense to spend a ton of money on huge spider spray containers when spiders are only a problem here and there. If that’s the case in your situation, you’ll want a small-scale solution like this one from Raid.
This product is meant to be sprayed on spiders as you see them.
But it also seems to be quite effective on other insects, like beetles, mosquitoes, and even flies. That means you can also target the food source of the spiders on your property!
This product is meant to work immediately. That means you don’t have to worry about those spiders fighting back once they’re sprayed. And what’s even better is that Raid claims that can also use this product indoors!
It’s also great because you don’t have to worry about the horrific scent that some sprays could possibly put out. This specific spray from Raid is actually scented with a pleasing orange smell, so feel free to use it wherever it seems fit.
You can take a further look at Raid House & Garden here.
Spider Traps
It might not make sense to use spider sprays on your entire property. That’s especially the case if there are only certain areas of your property that seem to attract spiders. You might be better off using a spider trap instead.
The problem is that spider traps aren’t typically recommended to be used outdoors.
Part of the reason is that you might end up attracting insects and rodents (like mice) other than spiders. There’s also the fact that spider traps might be useless once the glue gets wet when left out in the rain.
That means you need to be a bit strategic on how you use these types of traps.
You might just want to put them by the exterior doors to keep the spiders from finding their way into your home. They might also be useful when placed in the garage or in your shed, where they can’t get destroyed by the environment.
So, here’s a look at a few good options for spider traps.
Terro Spider & Insect Trap
These traps are great because they target the spiders you definitely don’t want in your home: Black widow, brown recluse, and hobo spiders.
All you have to do is set-up the trap in your shed or in your garage and let the traps get to work!
What’s great about this type of trap is how easy it is to set up.
You can either set-up the trap flat where the spiders seem to enter your home the most. Or, you can choose to fold the trap over the sticky area to keep your pets and kids from coming into contact with the glue.
The problem with a lot of insect and spider traps is the size.
You order a 10-pack just to find out that the traps will only catch one or two spiders before it becomes overloaded. Thankfully, Terro Spider & Insect Traps actually come in a 4-pack of traps that are a massive 4×10, which is more than enough to last you a few months or more.
CatchMaster Spider and Insect Glue Trap
This type of trap is a good choice if you’re tired of your spider traps catching mice instead. These traps are folded over in a way that only allows insects to enter, so your traps are no longer going to waste.
Not only are these traps ready-to-use as soon as they’re delivered, but they’re also completely non-toxic. That means you don’t have to worry about keeping your pets and kids away from the traps like you would with others.
What’s even better is that you’re getting 12 traps with your purchase. Now you can finally set up traps everywhere the spiders are sneaking into your home, garage, or shed.
If you’re interested, you can take a further look at CatchMaster’s Spider And Insect Glue Trap here.
Keeping Spiders Away Naturally
Spider sprays are a great choice if you have a huge spider population on your property. The problem is that a lot of sprays only work for a few months. That means that more spiders might end up back on your property once the spray begins to wear off.
That’s where you’ll want to work on keeping the spiders away rather than handling them every few months. So, let’s go over a few things you can do right now to keep the spiders away from your yard for good.
Additionally, for more natural tips on repelling spiders take a look at our guide: 8 Scents That Spiders Hate (and How to Use Them)
Check for Cobwebs
Spiders build webs for a few reasons.
First and foremost, a sticky spider web is used to catch flies and other insects that spiders like to feed on. If your property tends to attract a good amount of flies, then that explains why these spider webs are being built in the first place.
Some species of spiders also use their webs to store their eggs. The presence of spider webs on your property means you’ll probably be dealing with a higher spider population every few weeks as the eggs hatch.
Yet, the durability of spider webs is actually a bigger issue than the spiders in your yard. These carefully constructed webs can be built in as little as an hour and have recently been proven to be resistant to damage and different types of bacteria.
That means these spiderwebs aren’t going away on their own.
Survey your property and see if you can find any spider webs. There’s a good chance that they’re being built between two objects (like fence posts) or where walls and ceilings meet (like in a shed).
To get rid of spider webs, you can knock them down with either a broom or a large stick. You might even be able to get rid of them with the use of a high-pressure hose. For indoor spider webs, you’ll want to use a vacuum to make sure you’re cleaning up every single bit.
Get Rid of Standing Water
Spiders prey on mosquitoes, and mosquitoes use standing water to lay their eggs. That means that having standing water like puddles on your property means spiders have an unlimited food source in your yard.
That’s why it’s important to get rid of as much standing water on your property as possible.
If you have a pool in your backyard, that might mean covering your pool when it’s not in use. When the issue seems to be puddles, you have to consider what’s causing the puddles to form in the first place.
Check out where the puddles of water form on your property.
If these puddles form where you have a downspout, it’s a good idea to redirect your downspout elsewhere so the water can flow away from your property. Areas of your property that seem to form puddles after heavy rains should be filled in with dirt to level out the ground.
Think about anywhere else that water might seem to accumulate during rainstorms. It might be as simple as an empty bucket left in the yard or even a birdbath you haven’t used recently. Make sure to dump the water to limit where the mosquitoes can breed on your property.
Keep the Side of Your House Clean
Spiders have chosen your home and yard because there’s food, water, and shelter. That means that spiders might actually be hiding out in the tiny holes and cracks on your home’s exterior. And vinyl siding is perhaps the worst offender.
When cracks form in your siding, this produces a moist and dark environment where spiders can camp out. There’s also the fact that unclean vinyl siding tends to attract flies and other tiny insects.
It’s important to keep the side of your home as clean as possible.
The easiest way to do this is by pressure washing the side of your home to get rid of all sorts of mold and mildew. But you’ll also want to take the time to replace broken or cracked siding panels to get rid of any cracks spiders can shelter in.
When the issue is foundational cracks, you’ll want to look into filling up the gaps in the cement with cement putty. This is extremely easy to do with a putty knife and can fix the problem quite quickly.
Clean Your Yard
Not all spiders want to work their way into your home. In fact, species like the black widow spider actually tend to live outdoors. That’s why you’ll find a lot of spiders in dark and moist places, like a shed, garbage can, or even unused patio furniture.
That’s why you need to limit where spiders can make themselves at home.
To do that, it’s a great idea to keep your lawn taken care of by mowing frequently. Make it a point to trim overgrown bushes and trees. Your goal is to limit where spiders can hide, especially when it’s close to your home.
Keep Your Porch Light Off
Spiders like to hide out in dark places. That’s why you might notice them running off when you turn on the light in the garage or the shed. Turning the lights off around your home is more about keeping other insects out.
Think about the types of insects that swarm your porch light at night.
Your porch light is a feeding ground for the spiders on your property looking for gnats, flies, and mosquitoes to prey on. That’s why it’s a good idea to turn off your outdoor lighting unless you’re outdoors and currently using it.
That’s a Wrap (or a web?)
The first thing you should do when you notice a spider problem is to use a spider spray. These sprays can either be used on target areas where spiders tend to shelter on your property or on your entire lawn and garden.
If the spiders begin finding their way into your home, you might want to use spider and insect traps by your doors and windows to catch them before they really get into your house.
Most importantly, do what you can to keep spiders away. Work on cleaning up your property and getting rid of places that spiders like to shelter.
References
Fischer, A., Ayasse, M., & Andrade, M. C. (2018). Natural compounds as spider repellents: Fact or myth?. Journal of economic entomology, 111(1), 314-318.
Zhang, S., Piorkowski, D., Lin, W. R., Lee, Y. R., Liao, C. P., Wang, P. H., & Tso, I. M. (2019). Nitrogen inaccessibility protects spider silk from bacterial growth. Journal of Experimental Biology, 222(20).
Williams, M., Anderson, J., & Nappe, T. M. (2020). Black Widow Spider Toxicity. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Zack DeAngelis( CEO/Founder of Pest Pointers )
Zack is a Nature & Wildlife specialist based in Upstate, NY, and is the founder of his Tree Journey and Pest Pointers brands. He has a vast experience with nature while living and growing up on 50+ acres of fields, woodlands, and a freshwater bass pond. Zack has encountered many pest situations over the years and has spent his time maintaining and planting over 35 species of trees since his youth with his family on their property.
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